Thunderstruck
by babbler
Summary: Mikoto was having a bad day but things can always get worse when you have a nickname like "Railgun."
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The author of the fanfiction (babbler) does not, in any way, profit from the story and that all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator.

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Thunderstruck

Mikoto Misaka paced the small waiting room of the hospital. You might say her mind was cluttered right now because she was unable to distract herself, yet, also unable to do absolutely anything about her predicament. There were the same leather chairs, enamel floor, and small uneven coffee table as there were forty minutes ago, and looking at them harder did not change that. The coffee table in particular she had examined thoroughly. The legs and top were scuffed from reclining patients resting their feet against it and held exactly three magazines; two of which were in English and the other was six years old. Try as she might, she could not decipher the magazine though a few words here and there she could make out.

She picked up the Japanese magazine, a current affairs magazine for September 2004, and tried reading an article...she found herself reading the same line over and over unable to comprehend it. Her stomach was now empty and acidic from not eating since lunch and it was close to 9:00 pm. She was jittery from the soda she had drank earlier; possibly dozens of soda because she hadn't kept track.

There were two anti-skill guards watching over her at the end of both corridors that led from the room she sat in. They had met her at the entrance to the hospital and they had directed her to this waiting room. They didn't say why but Mikoto imagined it must have had something to do with the accident.

"If only I had turned around," she mumbled sinking into the worn leather chair and thinking back to a few hours earlier....

Tōma was about twenty-feet in front of her and running at the same pace as he was an half hour earlier; if she didn't know better she'd swear that was his power...either that or annoyance.

_I wonder if he runs like this whenever someone chases him or if it's just me? Dammit! Why won't he just stop and have a sensible battle!_

Tōma made a sudden turn into an alley and Mikoto followed. At the end of the dark wet alley was a 90-degree turn and it was the only way for him to go. Tōma turned for a second to look back at her and then jumped backwards as what looked like a blue laser flew past him, a shower of sparks cascading from it.

"Don't you have homework or something to do?"

"Just use your full power and this will be all over." Mikoto moved her foot forward as she prepared to electrify the small stream of water running from the puddle at her feet to the drain below Tōma's.

_If I can distract him I can zap him good before he moves and then I'll finally get to see what he's hiding._

She noticed a shadow moving towards her, hard to see in the dark alleyway, but moving towards her none the less.

Clang!

The garbage can, being metal, Mikoto deflected almost automatically...but the trash was a different story as banana peels, take-out boxes, and a wide assortment of gooey and gross bits hit her square in the face.

"Sorry," Tōma yelled, darting out to the main street.

Mikoto didn't know what to do; crying or screaming still left her in a dark alley covered in garbage so she tried both.

"Tōma!" she screamed running out of the alleyway, tears dripping down her face, but he had already disappeared. There were far more people on this street and even if she did see where he went, it would be hard to run after him without smacking into everyone. She raked the garbage and slime from her hair and turned around to take the scenic route home along the river.

The wind had picked up and dark grey clouds were forming above Mikoto's head. No one was around now and she liked these solitary walks. A drop of rain splashed against her face and she instinctively wiped it away, but there was something slimy stuck there. It was sticky and she had trouble pulling it away...she closed her eyes and thought about tossing it away, but decided that not knowing was worse than knowing. She opened her eyes...It was a band-aid.

Mikoto moved her arm to fling the slimy gross disgusting moist band-aid as far as possible put it remained stuck to her finger. This was followed by spinning around in a circle and flailing her arms as much as possible but still the band-aid stayed there taunting her with its infectious charm. Finally she rolled it up in a tiny ball and tossed it as far she she could. Electricity arced out from her like a Tesla coil, and she concentrated all that Tōma frustration into a blue surging energy that crashed from the heavens with a roar following soon after.

Something warm and heavy hit her from behind and she found herself sprawled on the pavement.

"That better not be you Tōma!" She felt her face filling with blood. Whoever it was smelled like flowers and she doubted any man living alone spelt like flowers ever, though she remembered he did have two girls living with him. This only made her blush harder as she squirmed out from under the weight.

Kurokol ay on her stomach with her face to one side, her eyes were closed. One of her shoes was missing.

"You scared me Kuroko. Now cut it out." She nudged her friend.

"Oh no! Kuroko's dead! Whatever shall I do!" she said in a stilted manner, touching her fingers to her throat as she felt for a pulse. Kuroko would alway make some crack at her acting skills...but no insult came this time.

"This isn't funny!" She tried harder to find a pulse.

"I suck at this. You know if this were for real you'd probably be dead." Kuroko didn't laugh. Mikoto desperately tried her wrists but there was no bumpity bumpity where there should have most definitely been bumpity bumpity.

Mikoto, tears dripping down her face for the second time that day, rolled the tiny girl onto her back and began chest compressions.

She could see now that Kuroko's hair was frazzled on the right side of her head and her blouse was blackened and full of holes running from her neckline down to her skirt. Something was burning. There was no way she was faking this. She didn't know how she could be so blind...there was still steam coming from her body.

"What's the ratio for this Kuroko! Is it 30:9 or 30:15? Was it 30 at all? I don't remember!"

What number was I _on again? Crap...she tilted Kuroko'shead back, looked into her mouth, pinched her nose, and then began doing the breaths._ _What am I going to do?_

"Look Kuroko, I'm groping you! I bet you like that if you weren't....come on say something!"

The misty rain had caused everyone to run for shelter and there weren't that many people by the river anyway. _How am I even going to call an ambulance like this?_

Her arms were already getting tired. _What set is this? 15__th __? 30__th __? _She didn't rmemeber but she knew she was now soaked. She looked at her watch while doing compressions...it was 7:49, she remembered she had given up chasing Tōma around 7:20. Had she been doing this for nearly thirty minutes. There wasn't much chance of survival after thirty minutes.

"You look tired! I'll take over." A msaculine voice nearly pushed her off of Kuroko. Mikoto sat their stunned as she watched him contining the chest compressions while counting under his breath. She immediately dialed for an ambulance.......

"You look like crap." Saten said putting her arm around Mikoto...she was a little weary of the electricity crackling around her but the girl looked like she needed comfort so she risked it.

"...How's...how...how?" She stared at her friend hoping they would know what she was trying to say.

"Uhm..." Saten and Uiharu looked at each other briefly.

"The doctor said she'd be okay in a few days," Saten said clenching her teeth.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Uiharu continued, "lots of people get hit by lightening but they get better. Kuroko's awake now but she's all disoriented and delirious and you have to talk really loud or she can't hear you...she has a high fever too and..." Saten elbowed her friend to shut her up.

Mikoto pulled her two friend into a hug. She was already crying again.

"Go home and take a shower...man you stink," Saten said nudging Mikoto gently. Mikoto got up and with a long sigh and walked down the corridor to the anti-skill officer that had suddenly appeared.

"Why did you tell her that?" Uiharu whispered.

"This entire room smells like garbage and wet dog."

"Saten, that's not nice."

"I just mean she should go home and shower. It's not like stinking this place up will do anything. By the way...did you ask her what happened?"

"She was crying too much when I got here. Why did anti-skill make her sit way over here?"

"I heard one of those anti-skill guys say they were going to arrest her."

"For what?"

"Kuroko got electrocuted...do I need to say more?"

"She wouldn't do that to Kuroko!" Uiharu grabbed Saten's cheek.

"UI'm jusst ssayin!" Saten pulled her face away. "It was probably an accident. Mikoto's always shocking Kuroko." They both noticed one of the anti-skill officers turn their way.

"You think she went too far?" Uiharu whispered.

"Which one? I can't see Kuroko going far enough to get..." Saten thought back to all the times Mikoto had overreacted...even blasting their dorm door to splinters not that long before. "Hahah it had to be an accident."

"Can you tell me about the accident?" the anti-skill officer asked Mikoto.

"She was hit by lightning."

"We find that a little hard to believe coming from a Level 5 electromaster. There haven't been any other recorded lightning strikes during the rain storm. Would you like a chance to amend your story?"

"Not really," Mikoto said meekly," she was hit by lightning."

"We're going to need you to come with us to the detention center until we get this straightened away." His partner led Mikoto down the three flights of stairs to the van where it was waiting with doors wide open.

Mikoto walked dejectedly into the back and sat on the hard metal seat. The vehicle began to rumble and than lurched into gear.

_I can't believe I'm in one of these things. Didn't Kuroko and I just watch two crooks get into one of these two days ago? Now I'm on my way to a detention center and she's...._

_How the heck am I going to get my way out of this one? No matter what I say it'll be either a misuse of my powers or inability to control them! Maybe if I say I went a little overboard and she's always tormenting me...that will go over well. I struck her with freaking lightning for trying to hug me. She is always trying to sexually harass me so...that will probably end up being my misuse of powers and her ending up in a detention center even though she didn't do anything. I should just say lightning hit her. I'll make it up to Kuroko somehow._

The van stopped and the doors immediately pulled open. Four nervous looking anti-skill officers with batons were lined up on either side of the door. Mikoto couldn't look them in the eyes has they escorted her up to a tiny room and left her with a glass of water. She didn't see much of the building as she was staring at her feet the entire time, except for their very clean floors, but this was a building she didn't want in her memories.

A woman with grey hair and a folder came into the room and sat down across the table from her. Miktoto looked up for the first time half expecting an interrogation room like in one of those police procedurals, but it looked more like a lunchroom. There was even a fridge and hot water percolator on the counter to her right.

"So Kuroko Shirai was hit by lightning," she smiled oddly.

"Yes."

"Standing next to a level 5 electromaster? How do you expect us to believe that? Do you want to change your story?"

"No. I was walking along and she teleported behind me and then I heard a loud crash and when I looked back she was lying on the ground."

"There's been some mischief around town lately that I think an electromaster has had an hand in. Do you know anything about some damage to a bridge? Witness say they saw some bright flashes of light coming from that area a little while ago."

"No."

"We also know, from your headmistress at the dorm, that you and Ms. Shirai have been known to fight. Are you two having any problems relationship wise?" She paused for a few seconds. "If you don't feel like talking about it with me I can direct you to a relationship councillor."

"We...we... don't have that kind of relationship." Mikoto said shrilly her face burning red.

"I see. I won't keep you but you're still under suspicion so I'm going to put you under the care of your headmistress. As of right now, I want you to stay away from Ms. Shirai. The guards at the hospital have been notified." ..........

Mikoto never imaged she'd one day be taken home (her dorm) in the back of a squad car. If anyone had tried to see who they were transporting, only some locks of hair would have been visible. If she could have fit, she would have happily climbed under the seat or even gotten in the trunk. Now all she had to do was, she peaked out the window as the car came to a halt...

The headmistress was staring at her soul. She'd never seen her this mad before and Kuroko had an habit of bringing out the worse in her. The usual barely suppressed anger was no longer barely suppressed. The officer opened the door and she gingerly got out. There was a big o'vein popping out of her forehead and her face was nearly purple.

"Your headmistress will be supervising for now."

There was a black cloud around the women who stood at the other end of the walk from her. "GET YOUR THINGS. GO TO THE SUB LEVEL."

Mikoto couldn't quite explain the time from getting out of the car to packing her suitcases in her room. It was almost like she had flown. Maybe for a brief moment she had become a level six and obtained powers beyond comphrension. Maybe if they had the headmistress glowering at them during the system scan they would all test a level higher; even those not on the curriculum.

Mikototucked her blanket and pillow under her arm and with two heavy suitcases, began descending the stairs. She could feel her headmistress's eyes burning into her through several floors and partitions. The sub level had the laundry facilities on it but she didn't know what else. She had never set foot there until she opened the stairwell door.

This floor was no dungeon and the walls were freshly painted and stuccoed. The lighting was quite bright which made it even easier to see the headmistress staring at her with arms folded. If she didn't know better, it would appear the elder lady was smiling slightly.

"This will be your room for the next little while."

"But..."

"No buts. Your new curfew is 8:00pm until I say otherwise." She handed Mikoto the key.

"Yes ma'am."

"Don't think that I haven't noticed what time it is right now." She watched her headmistress march off with a evil glint in her eye. She seemed to have calmed down quite a bit in only a few minutes.

Mikotoslipped the key in the lock and opened the door. Other than the lock it looked similar to all the other rooms she'd seen. She picked up her other suitcase, having put it down while her headmistress was talking, and pushed the door open with her foot.

Bang! Her hip hit the door knob and she wedged herself between the wall and the half open door with her suitcase. Pushing as hard has she could, she couldn't get the door to open any wider.

"What the heck could this thing be stuck on?" she asked out loud as she squeezed into the room. There was a chest of drawers immediately behind the door that prevented it from opening. Next to it, sitting lengthwise, was the bed and it was pressed tightly against the outside wall. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a desk and it left just enough run to squeeze between it and the bed. Across from the drawers and next to the door was a closet with its sliding doors closed.

"Hmm..." Mikoto squeezed back outside to get her bags. Sometimes she wished her powers were more practical. If she were Kuroko she could easily teleporter bags into the room but she couldn't electricity them in. She picked up the narrower of her bags and with a running throw jammed it into her room. The second bag was more like a duffel bag and much wider than her suitcase. She looked at the opening, then her bag, and then the opening again but she knew it would not fit.

She would have to take the things in a few at a time. She reached into her bag and pulled out some clothes. "Gwah!" They were all panties so she dropped them back in. Nervously she looked up the long hallway and down the other, but luckily there was no one. She half expected Kuroko to come out of nowhere and... a couple stray tears dripped down her nose.

"I'm so glad no one ever comes down here." She wiped away her tears and began shovelling her clothes into the room as fast as she could. Onlookers would have seen a girl, nose first in her suitcase, with a blur of pink and blue flying between her legs like a dog digging a hole.

She swept some clothes into the room with her foot and closed the door. It was pitch black...so dark it was disorienting and she had to feel her way around for the door she had just used. The door was snug with the door frame and no light came through. She opened it a crack so she could see what she was doing.

She hopped on the bed and opened the curtains to her tiny window. All she could see was darkness outside but if she craned her neck she could just make out some sky above. _Isn't this against fire regulations? There's no way I'd be able to crawl out of this window if there were a fire! I'd have to stand on the headboard to even reach the latch. I can't electricity away fire!_

She turned to look at her tiny dark room, clothes strewn on the floor, and she'd had yet to find the light switch...it would be a long night...but she bet Kuroko was going through worse.

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All reviews are greatly appreciated.

Next chapter should be up in about a week...I hope.

P.S: My spell checker stopped working for some reason. I spell checked it with another program but a few things might have slipped through. Sorry.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The author of the fanfiction (babbler) does not, in any way, profit from the story and that all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator.

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Mikoto couldn't sleep. She blamed that fact on the shoebox sized room she was now occupying, but it wasn't the dimensions of the room that was causing the problem. It was far too dark. Mikoto closed her eyes for a second and opened them again…she couldn't tell the difference.

She reached over and turned on her desk lamp but it was no use. The room was completely illuminated now and there was no way she be able to sleep with its intense fluorescent glare. There was nothing else she could use for a nightlight.

"I can't believe I'm complaining about this comfortable bed when Kuroko's probably trying to sleep with medical machines all around her…and hooked up to intravenous…and probably getting needles all night long." She shuttered. Determined not to let the darkness bother, her she turned onto her side and tried to clear her mind.

_"Onee-sama?" Mikoto felt a sharp poke in the side._

_"What?" The restaurant's intense heat made her want to sleep._

_"May I have a taste of your sundae?" Kuroko pouted and blinkered her eyelashes at her._

_"You have the same flavour and besides it's all melted."_

_Kuroko grinned wickedly. "We have the inverse of each other. I'd like to know what Onee-sama tastes like…I mean what her sundae tastes like."_

_"Oooh! Me too!" Saten grabbed Mikoto's spoon and quickly tasted the dessert._

_Kuroko's jaw dropped and she tried to grab the spoon away from Saten but she had already shoved another melted spoonful into Uiharu's mouth._

_"Mmm…I think the strawberry sauce tastes way better than the strawberry ice cream." Saten slid the dessert in front of Kuroko. Kuroko raised the spoon slowly all the while staring intently at it. Thump! Kuroko's head hit the table._

_"We should go to the movies. At least they'll have air conditioning there and we can get a crepe on the way!" Uiharu suggested._

_"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Uiharu-chan, we're going to have to start rolling you everywhere if you need dessert after your dessert. I'd like to see a movie though."_

_Thump! "Yeah, lets get out of here." Kuroko lifted her head off the table and walked out into the aisle followed by the other two girls and a sleepy Mikoto._

_"Hmm…pink today."_

_"Whaaaaaa! Saten-san, there are so many people around." Uiharu pulled her skirt out of Saten's grasp and twirled around seemingly trying to judge how many people just saw her underwear._

_"Saten, that is so immature." Kuroko said and Mikoto stiffened; she could feel a hand on her skirt. "These frog underwear are cute in a immature way too I suppose." Kuroko held up a pair of pink and blue panties with a picture of a winking frog in the middle. She wiped away some drool from her cheek._

_"Kuroko." Mikoto was surprisingly calm._

_"Oh, are these your underwear Onee-sama?"_

_"Give them back!"_

_"But as a member of Justice, I need proof that these are…" A blue ribbon fell from the skies hitting Kuroko and she fell to the ground like her strings were cut._

_Uiharu and Saten turned white, so white in face,few sheets dared approach their level of whiteness. The girls backed away several steps, looking between their two friends frightfully._

_"Did…did…did you just do that Mikoto-san?"_

_Saten, regaining her composure, raced for Kuroko but jumped back as another bolt landed between her and the still smoking body._

_"What the hell are you…" Saten fell to the ground._

_"It's not me! I'm not doing this!" Mikoto screamed suddenly realising what was going on around her after the shock of Kuroko falling to the ground in a burst of light._

_Uiharu turned to run but before she made three steps she collapsed in yet another burst of light. Mikoto looked toward the sky. How could this be happening? She was sure it wasn't her. Maybe some other electromaster was trying to frame her. Lightening bolts were falling from the sky like rain as she crouched by her friend and felt for a pulse._

_Her face were burnt beyond recognition…_

Mikoto's eyes flew open and she drunkenly tried to get out of bed and escape her sleep paralysis. She had to save Kuroko.

"Kuroko?" she said softly realising that she was back in her tiny room. She rolled back into bed and buried her face in her warm pillow. She couldn't stop the tears.

Mikoto sat up and shook her head vigorously while wiping away the tears. _I didn't try to hurt Mikoto!_ _Lots of things happen in dreams. Like that time I kissed To..._ There was something about this dream that was lingering and felt far too real.

She reached for the light switch, even though it was morning it was still quite dark, and she heard a tiny crackling sound. It sounded like a static shock but there was no way that could have been true. She couldn't even remember the last time she had a static shock. Shrugging her shoulders she flicked on the light and started getting dressed.

She glanced at her alarm clock and then reached for her ribbon…then looked back at the alarm clock again as her mouth dropped open. It was already a quarter to eight.

"Growl!" her stomach moaned. _Shaddup you! She picked up her book bag and raced out the door_. _When was the last time I ate?_

Mikoto collapsed into her seat. There was exactly two minutes before the bell would ring. She pulled the back of her uniform away from her skin. _Arg! This feels disgusting! I wonder if we have today so I can shower?_

She sat in her seat and laid her head on her arms. There were two rows separating her from the window and she'd wished there was someway to get herself moved. Usually, Kuroko would be talking her ear off by that point, before the bell rang, and she was forced to go back to her own classroom...she didn't want to think about it.

"Look at her all nonchalant."

"She tried to kill Shirai-san! How come she's not in jail?"

"If it was an accident she wouldn't go to jail."

"There's no way it was an accident! She's got a bad temper. I bet she got mad and then BOOM! Railgun takedown."

"Shirai-san would be dead if she shot her with the railgun."

"She's in the hospital and I heard she was in the intensive care unit. It's not like she didn't try."

"If someone tormented me like Shirai-san torments Railgun then I'd shock the crap out of her too once in a while."

"She's all tsudere here but I bet when they're back in their dorms it's all hugs and kisses and hehehe."

"Hahaha...you think they're..."

Mikoto thumped her head against the desk. She wished she was in the hospital so she wouldn't have to put up with all the gossip about her. Then again, Kuroko would definitely use that situation to her advantage. She didn't want to see Kuroko in a sexy nurses outfit...or anywhere near drugs and needles for that matter.

Despite not being next to the window, she still had a good view from where she sat. Somewhere out there Toma was probably...being utterly annoying. She slammed her hand on the desk as she remembered the garbage can he threw at her the day before.

"See! Like, she has an anger problem!" a brunette whispered loudly to her friend.

"I DO NOT HAVE AN ANGER PROBLEM!" she yelled at the girls, the colour draining from their faces. Everyone was staring at her now with an equal measure of fright and bemusement on their faces. Electricity was arcing from her...

"Mikoto Misaka! Why are you yelling in here!" the teacher paused briefly as the bell rung. "Another outburst like that and you'll be spending the day standing outside."

Mikoto sat down amongst a chorus of giggles. Maybe she did have bit of an anger problem. Toma never acted like this even when she knew he must definitely be mad at her. She lay her head on her arms and stared out the window once again...I wonder how Kuroko's doing.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The bell rang making Mikoto jump and search for the clock on the wall. It was 12:00. She didn't even remember what the subjects for the last two classes were. She reached into her bag to pull out her bento but all that was in there was her math book and pencil case. She had a habit of stuffing her bento into her desk so she could sneak some food during class but it wasn't in there either.

"Mikoto Misaka please report to the guidance office." The loudspeaker boomed.

Mikoto stood with a grunt, there was no way this was going to be good. No one said a word but she knew exactly what they all must be thinking. They'd all even stopped getting ready for lunch and just stood there, or sat in their seats, with their eyes glued on her. She shivered, it felt like the long march to the electric chair for some reason…though the chair wouldn't bother her at all. She gulped, imagining herself swinging on a short rope…being an electromaster wouldn't get her out of that one. She had to commit homicide to get the death penalty, her thoughts flashes back to Kuroko, somehow that thought didn't make her feel any better.

The guidance counsellor stuck his head out the door as she approached and beckoned her to come inside. "I couldn't really give you this announcement over the intercom so I had to get you to come here. Sorry for making you miss lunch," he laughed nervously.

"Hmm."

"I...There's a meeting you need to attend at an hospital a little ways from here, so you'll need to catch the bus immediately after you've finished eating."

"What kind of meeting."

"About the incident the other day," he said, looking over his glasses has he rooted through some paperwork on his desk, "they need to run some tests on you and take a look at your ability...just think of it as your usual check-up."

Mikoto turned and started to run down the hall, but there was a girl who was staring at her and trying to get her attention. She forced on a smile as she turned toward the heavily blushing girl.

"Mikoto-san would you like to eat with me?" Her voice was as sweet as honey.

"Hmm." Mikoto eyed her suspiciously and in response the other's shoulders dropped noticeably.

"It's...it's for for helping me...last week with those bullies." She suddenly turned bright red.

Mikoto didn't even remember saving anyone from bullies and especially if it was a girl from their class, but she was very hungry and the girl had quite obviously made a bento for her. "Okay, lets eat outside." The girl jumped a little.

"My name's Yuno Sainoji by the way." Yuno smiled at her.

_Ugh. That's a very yandere name! _"We're in the same class. I know your name." She didn't. They descended the back stairs and walked out onto a small grassy field filled with trees.

"Is this where you always eat Mikoto-san? I never see you in the cafeteria or eating in the classroom." She handed Mikoto a bento.

Mikoto hadn't eaten breakfast, or for that matter dinner the night before, and had to restrain herself from swallowing it container and all. "I eat all over the place. I hate it when people bother me."

"Is that right?" Yuno hoped the light breeze would take her away.

Mikoto jumped. "I don't mean it that way! It's just certain people annoy me...I didn't mean to say...you're not...This bento is great!"

"You mean Shirai-san bothers you?" She poked Mikoto.

"She's so..." Mikoto stopped herself and took a deep breath.

"Are you longing for her?" Yuno hesitantly put her hand on the other girl's knee.

"What?" Mikoto suddenly felt hot despite the shade.

"You just sighed and stared off into space...that's as cliché as you can get!" Yuno's smile was lopsided.

"I...I...I...I."

"Hehehe. You're so cute when you're blushing and stammering like that."

Mikoto concentrated on eating, the blush had to go away sooner or later. It didn't help that Yuno was staring at her with big bright blue eyes and that lopsided smile that would give Kuroko pause.

"I'm sorry. I'm being too forward."

Dropping her towel and chasing her naked was being too forward. This was Saten level skirt flipping. She could live with this. "Don't worry about it. I have to go now for an appointment. Thanks for the bento!" Mikoto waved to Yuno and ran off toward the bus stop.

Mikoto collapsed into the worn leather chair. Suddenly dealing with rumours at school wasn't so bad as four straight hours of testing, probing, and prodding. The three vials of blood they took had further sapped her strength. She closed her eyes...

"What's the point of this little conference? It's bad enough I had to do these tests out of the blue..."

"Then just report your findings...the less technical language the better." The voice sounded like the older lady she had spoken to at the detention center the day before.

"She's stressed and probably hasn't been sleeping well...if I zapped my friend I'd be the same. Everything else seems normal."

"What about her system scan?"

"It's off markedly from her last...but again, almost killing your friend might do that."

"We managed to find video evidence of the event and it backs up Mikoto-san's alibi. We need to be absolutely sure that there isn't something odd going on with her abilities. All we need is espers going willy nilly with their powers out of control."

"That's not much of a possibility."

"When there's children walking the streets that can rain down lightening, we take this kind of thing seriously..."

The window was open behind her and probably likewise in the little office, so there voices were obviously carrying. Mikoto opened her eyes. It was funny, but with her eyes open she couldn't hear their voices anymore.

She looked down at her hands. Electricity was crackling between her digits and in her full control. It took concentration and years of practice to control her abilities. Losing control of her powers was like losing control of her limbs; it just didn't happen. Losing control of her railgun would be like losing control of your hand and find it writing Shakespeare. It was far too technical to just happen on it's own. Random discharges of electricity would be much far more probable.

The acrid smell of charred flesh entered her nostrils and she realized she was cooking the leather of the chair...it reminded her of something but she couldn't put her finger on it.

She closed her eyes again...A loud thud made her set upright again wide-awake. She couldn't see where the sound came from. She wished she was back in her bed.

"Dammit," she'd still get no sleep in that mouse hole the headmistress stuck her in. The thought of waking up in that dark dreary decrepit place made her feel a little depressed.

If any of the nurses had been paying attention, or really anyone in general, they would have asked what was wrong. Mikoto had suddenly turned white as a sheet. Such a clichéd metaphor, but the fact was few sheets dared approached her whiteness. She had realized why the smell of burnt flesh seemed familiar to her.

The charred bodies from her dreams had surrounded her. She was having one of those moments where memories she didn't know she had, filled her head. The images were so nonsensical that they had to be a dream but that unholy smell of burning human flesh and hair was far too real.

"Mikoto-san?" One of the system scan people was beckoning her. She stood grudgingly and entered the small conference room. The sun was searing into the large window behind the adults and she could scarcely open her eyes. Was this intentional?

"Mikoto Misaka." she went rigid from her headmistress's voice. If there were a pole up her bottom she couldn't have stood any straighter. "You are a student of Tokiwadai Middle School and one of the most powerful psychics in Academy city. As such, I am very disappointed with the disregard you hold for your position. Kuroko Shirai, as annoying as she is, does not deserve to be in an hospital bed because you decided to play with your very substanitcal eletrictal powers! She is very fortunate to be alive. I don't know how much more I can stress that."

"You are very fortunate that video evidence of the incident could be found. You could have very well been confined for assault with a deadly weapon. Not even out of middle school and a serious charge like that gracing your record! Not to mention your conscious, since she is your **FRIEND**." The word struck her like a knife. "We believe that it was an accident, like you have said, but we will be watching you intently for the near future. If you have any concerns at all, anything, come see us immediately," someone else spoke but she couldn't make out who.

"We will release you into your headmistress' care for however long she feels fit to punish you."

Mikoto left the hospital quickly. It was unbareably hot in that wing of the hospital…probably because a certain esper was misusing her powers again, but she never dwelt on it. She could finally see Kuroko! She boarded a bus as it came near the hospital. It was the scenic route but she didn't really care.

Nearly an hour later Mikoto finally got off the bus again. At some point she had fallen asleep and her hair was puffy on one side of her head. She stood there for a few seconds looking around in a daze.

"Hello young lady. Would you like to buy some flowers? A pretty girl like yourself must have someone they like to give a flower to. They're all fresh and much cheaper than anywhere else." She waved her hand over a very full display of flowers that took up four tables and nearly the entire sidewalk.

_Am I an evil person because I completely forgot to bring her anything?_

The little stand of flowers brought a sence of vibrant colour to the otherwise drab midtown. She had no idea what to pick since it was or first time ever picking out flowers for anything. A lump of guilt formed in her throat as she wondered if she was supposed to know anything about flowers.

"I'll take one of those red ones. One of those red ones. Two of those orange ones. A purple one, and the daffodil."

The woman smiled at her oddly; was about to say something but then just wrapped them in simple paper with a bow. "That'll be 300 yen please." She winked.

Mikoto handed the women the money and walked quickly toward the hospital. She looked quickly around the entrance hoping Toma wasn't around and then darted inside. She had been in hospitals more than she ever wanted in the past few months. She didn't exactly dislike them but she was certainly beginning to.

Mikoto sighed in relief. Mikoto wasn't in the intensive care unit but moved to her own room on the general floor. She approached the door slowly. She was shaking so hard she was afraid she'd break the flowers. She knocked on the door hestitantly

"Onee-sama?" a soft voice asked barely audible over the beeps of the machines and bustle of the hallway.

"Hi Kuroko. How are you?" Mikoto pasted on a smile and trudged inside. Kuroko didn't say anything.

Mikoto placed the flowers in the vase beside her bed. She'd have to remember to get some water before she left. Kuroko's eyes were closed.

Kuroko didn't look well. Her face had a white pallor and she could see the veins through her translucent skin. On the side of her head was a red mark with hair fringed all around it that looked like she had been burned with a poker. Running down the side of her neck and into her hospital gown were a series of spider web likes bruises. The dark purple bruising on her pale skin made it look all the worse. There were wires hooked up to her heart that connected to the heart monitor or whatever you call the beep beep machine.

"I brought you some flowers." She moved the flowers to where Mikoto could see them.

"Thank you." Her eyes didn't open but she reached for the vase blindly. Mikoto put it gently into her hands. Kuroko finally opened her eyes.

"Are you playing sick?"

"I nearly died. Feels like I was kicked…everywhere." She pulled the flowers into her face to smell them and then looked at them individually. She plucked out poppy and dropped it into the trash bin besides the bed.

"Um?"

"It was wilted. The rest are really nice. I really like these gorgeous orange lillies and this monkshood is just…"

"Kuroko!" Twack. Uiharu doubled Saten over with an elbow.

"This is a hospital you're supposed to be quiet." Uiharu whispered harshly.

"Kuroko mind if I share that bed? I think she just took out some ribs…and my spleen…and liver…" She collapsed onto a nearby chair. "What does the spleen do anyway?"

"Wow. Uiharu bounced into the room. "Kuroko…do you have a boyfrien…" She looked at Kuroko and then Mikoto and then back again. "What a nice bouquet of flowers." She pulled the daffodil out and split it in two.

"Hey!" Mikoto yelped.

"Mikoto? A single daffodil means misfortune." She looked questionly at the garbage bin and the poppy within. "Do you know what poppies symbolize?"

"That's a poppy? I just thought it looked pretty."

"Don't tell her." Kuroko put her hand on Uiharu's.

"So you came to finish the job? Eh Mikoto?" Saten slapped Mikoto on the back.

"Do it quick! I think they're coming with dinner." Kuroko unbuttoned her gown a little and opened her arms.

Steam seemed to be coming from Uiharu's head. Her flowery headband was wilting quickly.

"I…I'll…go get us some drinks. Saten you're coming with me." Mikoto raced out of the room dragging Saten with her.

"It was only some gallows humor. I think I've earned the right to poke fun at my beloved onee-sama." Kuroko pressed the button besides her bed to move it up into a reclining position.

"Heehee. Did Mikoto bring you these flowers?"

"Yeah, other than that poppy, I've quite liked them."

"It looks like a lover's bouquet…monkshood? I bet she just picked them at random."

"Shush! She picked them knowing full well what they meant. Let me enjoy my illusion."

"What about the daffodil and poppy?" Uiharu narrowed her eyes.

"Those were completely random…all the rest were thoughtfully researched in advance." Kuroko yelped at nearly pulling her intravenous out.

"And the moonkshood?"

"I thought that was self-explanatory."

"Heehee. I guess she really did want to finish you off," Uiharu said making sure not to touch the flower. "What should we do with it?"

"I'll teleport it somewhere safe when Onee-sama leaves. Where do you suppose she got such a dangerous flowe…wait, did you just use gallows humor after chastizing Saten?"

"Must be your imagination."

"Why…why are they keeping you?" Uiharu looked at the floor. She couldn't bare to look at Kuroko. The side of her neck had a large bandage from collar bone to her ear. She had seen the nurse change the dressing the night before…and it gave her nightmares.

"Oh, I have an erratic heartbeat. Lightening strikes do that sometimes. Heehee. Onee-sama makes my heart beat faster…Onee-sama makes my heart…stop…" She was silent with a dark look on her face.

"They were all out of anything good." Saten walked into the room. "Lets go get some ice cream while it's still nice out."

"Okay." Uiharu smirked at Kuroko. She was about to tug on Mikoto's sleeve to get her to follow them but instead pulled Saten back out the door. "Meet us at the usual place?" Uiharu looked back at Mikoto questioningly?

"Sure." Mikoto took a seat by her roommate.

_If she were faking to get my sympathy then she'd have tried something by now. I'm sorry Kuroko…I thought you were joking._ She flashed back to Kuroko's smouldering body on the wet pavement…

"I'm okay Onee-sama." She wiped away the older girl's tears. "I just need to stay a few more nights and then we'll be back just like we were…with you trying to kill me again."

"That's…not…not funny," she stammered. "I'll make it up to you."

"Onee-sama, I'd really like it if you hit Saten with you rail gun. How dare she so casually mention ice cream when I'm going to be eating this dredge for days!"

"That's not funny either."

"Oneeeee-sammma? Don't you want to take advantage of indisposed me? You've definitely set off my flag with the flowers."

"That's it! I'm leaving." Mikoto walked quickly out of the room.

"You…you forgot to put water in the vase…" Kuroko closed her eyes again. It was hard pretending to be well.

"Wait up!" Mikoto ran to catch up with her friends. They hadn't made it far.

"So are you going to tell us what you did? Rumours are starting to circulate."

"Rumours like what." Mikoto stopped walking, seemingly bracing for impact.

"That Kuroko made you orgasm and electrocuted her by accident. That's a fun one!"

"Wha…wha…what?" Mikoto legs nearly gave out.

"I heard that Shirai-san was messing around behind your back so you took her out." Uiharu said sweetly, avoiding Mikoto's eyes.

"Not you too Uiharu?"

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Please review! I appreciate all feedback and the more I get the faster I tend to write the next installment.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The author of the fanfiction (babbler) does not, in any way, profit from the story and that all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator.

* * *

"I've heard so many good things about you." A young man dressed totally in black with an equally dark trench coat was standing in the dim light of the alley.

"I've had a long night. Why don't you crawl back into the sewer where you belong, "Mikoto said without an ounce of emotion in her voice. "There's a reason they call me Railgun and you aren't going to like it."

"I look forward to the challenge." He stepped forward and bowed. Particles were dancing in the light like gently falling snow near his body.

_Why does it always wind up like this? I was just walking to the dorms from the hospital…_

_

* * *

_

Mikoto didn't exactly know where she was. She had just kept on walking after she had left Saten and Uiharu. Her stomach felt like a big bag of acid with rocks or lumps, or something, gestating in it. Her ailing digestive track she could manage, but that stabbing feeling in her chest didn't seem like it was going away anytime soon; the single topic swirling around her mind didn't help that.

Kuroko looked like death when she had walked in the room. There was just something about her waxy translucent skin that made her shiver. The spider web like bruises from, where the electricity had travelled through her body, didn't help matters.

She never did like scary things but haunted houses, and the like, did not bother her. However, Kuroko was a living breathing...and suddenly she was on the ground in the drizzling rain with Kuroko smouldering in front of her. She paused mid step causing a large man to nearly bowl her over.

"Watch where you're going you little tart," he sneered at her, looking down his nose.

Mikoto ignored him and started walking again. The accident probably wouldn't have happened in reverse. Despite Kuroko's perversions, she had yet to accidentally harm her and she had done a lot of things. She shuttered, "a lot" was almost British in its understatementness.

She had done some...questionable things before but the little gremlins in her mind that drew up her moral and ethical guidelines weren't letting her live this one down. She had always been so careful not to seriously hurt anyone in all her battles, and yet, Kuroko…her friend was in the hospital.

Mikoto shook her head and slapped herself. It was stupid to dwell on this. _I'm NEVER going to make this mistake again and dwelling on this isn't going to make Kuroko better, so maybe if I just talk to Konori-sempai or Uiharu it'll help me feel a little better...Saten-even._

_Yes._ She clapped her hands together. _I'm just going to walk to Uiharu's dorm and talk to her._

"Crud." _I think my subconscious is trying to tell me something..._she realized with a jolt she was standing immediately in front of Touma's apartment. Somehow she had walked there without really thinking about it.

It was warm and muggy and the sun was striking the side of her face making things even more uncomfortable as she stood stone still wondering if she should knock on the blockhead's door. She didn't really want to knock but she was here and maybe he'd apologize properly for throwing that garbage can in her face. She sighed; he'd probably be too jumpy to talk to her. She did, after all, try to zap him every time they met.

"Ohhh. Hiyaa!"

"Hello…" Mikoto slowly turned her head to the chipper voice that had appeared beside her.

There was a girl sitting and spinning on one of those cleaning robots. Her grin reached from ear to ear and she had a twinkle in her eye that she just didn't like.

"Touma-san is adding to his harem…"

"What? I'm not part of his harem! He doesn't have a harem!"

"Then why are you standing there all lovestruck and sweating in front of his door if this isn't an heartfelt confession?" She continued to spin and smile in equal amounts.

"I…I..just need to talk to…him. That's all." _There's just going to be me and him alone in his room. _Mikoto blushed hard. "It's not like I like him or anything."

"Hmm…tsudere type. Good choice," she mumbled, narrowing her eyes at Mikoto.

"What?"

"Bye! Have funnnnnnn!" She waved as she rolled down the empty walkway.

_What the heck?_ She turned her attention back to the door hoping no other weirdos would show up.

After standing there for what seemed like eternity, she finally knocked, and the door crept open slowly just from the force. The smell of sweat, rotten fruit, and curry hit her square in the face and she closed her eyes, cringing just at the thought of what was to come. This was a **man's** apartment after all…_a man…Touma's a man._ She blushed.

"Sorry to intrude." She shrugged off her blush and knocked on the door again, pushing it the rest of the way open.

Index and Touma were sitting on his bed amongst the messy coverings. Touma, clad only in boxers, looked uncomfortable. Index was glowering at him out of the corner of her eye and trying to hold her robes together.

"Umm...am...am...I... interrupting something?"

"What? Of course not!" Touma's cheeks glowed red. "Wait a minute...I told you already that I didn't want to fight you...please please don't wreck my apartment."

"I'm not going to wreck your apartment!" The floor was covered in crumbs and what she could only hope were more crumbs. She pulled a foot out of her shoe and took a tentative step into his apartment. Little bits of debris that felt like popcorn kernels crunched under foot as she walked to the kotatsu. She shuddered her big toe met something wet that soaked through her sock and something sticky was attached to her left heel. She stared down hard at the kotatsu…there was no way she was sitting in this room even with shorts under her skirt.

"Um…so what do you want?" Touma asked. He was watching Index out of the corner of his eye. Index was blushing, or maybe it was the heat, brightly, and stirring uncomfortably in her robes.

"I didn't come here for that...I just wanted to ta...ta..."

Aisha walked out of the kitchen holding three plates of curry and rice; two plates piled a little higher than the other. Mikoto face turned into a neon red light. Aisha's legs were bare…her sides were bare…and her back was bare. "Hada…hada…ha..Hadka apron! I'm leaving." She walked away straight legged like a toy soldier.

"Wait...come back! The AC is out! It's not what it looks like!" There was a crash and a yelp of pain from Touma; Mikoto just kept walking. She didn't really want to see the intricacies of Touma's harem.

Mikoto sighed. She definitely wasn't expecting that from Touma and now she'd have to wait until the next day to talk to anyone...Kuroko should be out of the hospital at least by then.

_Why couldn't it have been Touma that jumped at me…he could handle it! _A convenience store was just ahead and she walked towards it hoping to lose herself in manga. Kuroko didn't like her doing that but nobody got hurt from her glancing through a comic or twenty? The store gained since she wasn't going to buy anyway and she'd usually buy a snack in one form or another.

"Hey hot stuff! You should hang out with us." She didn't look but she could see a large male and his cronies hovering in the shadows of the alley adjacent to her. She read somewhere that the hottest days of summer usually correlated with the most crime but couldn't remember if it was a study or an anecdotal report from a cop. It made sense anyway, who'd be out chasing her skirt when it was cold enough to freeze the b…

"You deaf? I told you to hang out with us." He put his arm around her and in the process pressing his damp, damp, disgustingly damp underarm into her neck and shoulders. "I'll make sure you haves a good times." With a move of his hips, he turned their bodies toward the alleyway.

"And I'll make sure you light up like a Christmas tree if you don't move your arm." She stopped suddenly but the brute hauled her forward. _What if I accidentally kill them?_

"You think I'm scared of…"

"Level 5, Electromaster, Railgun…5…4…3," she gave a little jolt to emphasize her point. "…2…"

"Okay okay." He swaggered back to his friends. "Bitch."

"What did you say!"

"Bitch…slut…whore…whatever word yous think suits yous best." He made a weird face, scrunching his eyebrows together and stuck out his tongue. "Have yous heard those words living in your crystal mansion?"

There was pain shooting up through her hands and looking down she realized she was wringing her fists so hard that her palms were just about bleeding. She looked back up at the delinquents. _They just tried to pull me off somewhere and now…_

"…it means yous likes taking it in all your holes. I bet ye's so loose it's like throwing a trashcan down an alleyway." They all started laughing and clapping each other on the back as if it were the greatest insult in the history of insults.

She turned to start leave but there were suddenly several more people standing in front of her.

"Get out of my way." Mikoto tried her most serious look.

"Better move guys. Railgun is so scary!" They erupted in laughter again.

The group in front of her was mumbling about something. She hadn't noticed it before, but there were a few girls in the group and they were smiling at her like her classmates were this morning. They quieted for a second as they all turned to look at her.

"Did you really try to kill your girlfriend?"

"What? She's not my…"

"Oh yeah! If she tries anything with us, then anti-skill will string her up. Off to a lab for some _tests_."

"Don't think that that'll stop me from shocking you morons." She scanned the group. It looked like the type of people to have priors, but even so, would anti-skill believe she was just trying to defend herself? What if one of them had a heart condition or something wrong with their nervous system and they died…it be an accident but to die just from calling someone a few names was a few qualifiers above an harsh punishment.

"How long before I kill someone by accident?" She mumbled under her breath, placing her hand against her stomach. She was sweating now.

"When some bitch cheats on you, you need to go out and have a good time." One of the bigger males puffed out his chest and took a few steps toward her. "Come out with us and well show you around town."

"I've been here for years. I don't need your help." The entire group jumped in unison as Mikoto pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

"We…we…we'll make….sure you have a good time. Maybe experience some things you've never heard about stooped up in your ivory tower."

"Experiences…like an hard coc…"

"I can do more things than shock." Fine black particles began swirling around Mikoto's hands. The iron sand she had pulled from the potholes and cracks in the well-worn pavement of the alley. "Only a couple of people even know I can do this…so I doubt anyone will suspect…" She chopped the garbage can at her side in two.

Mikoto walked forward dragging her screeching blade along the alley wall. They parted without a word, avoiding eye contact but watching the swirling mass of iron intensely, quivering at every movement.

"Slu…" And he dropped to the ground smoking, fingers of electricity swirling around his body.

Mikoto looked at her outstretched hand and then the body in front of her.

_Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead._ _Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead._

She dropped to her knees. He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. She crawled forward watching him intently…

"Arggg! That hurts!" He jumped to his feet and ran into the alley screaming.

She twitched and slumped to the ground…._I need a soda._

_

* * *

_It was dark now as Mikoto stepped out of the store into the dim light. The convenience store she found had quite a few manga she needed to catch up on and the cashier was dumb or oblivious. Either way it suited her purpose. She felt a little better now. Her stomach wasn't an acidic mess and the monkey on her back must have gotten bored and scurried away. She stretched… she definitely felt better somehow.

It was way past curfew. There was going to be the wringing of a scrawny neck when she got back and she didn't want to think about it. She started running at a slow jog; the later it was the worse the punishment would be.

Mikoto stopped by an alley and clasped her hands, "Please let no idiots impede my path." She stared up into the overcast sky for a few seconds. A drop of rain splashed onto her nose, "I wonder what that means?" She jogged into the darkness….

"I've heard so many good things about you." A young man dressed totally in black with an equally dark trench coat was standing in the dim light of the alley.

"I've had a long night. Why don't you crawl back under whatever rock you crawled out from under. Mikoto said without an ounce of emotion in her voice, "There's a reason they call me Railgun and you aren't going to like it."

"I look forward to the challenge." He stepped forward the bowed. Particles were dancing in the light like gently falling snow near his body.

_I can't underestimate him but…maybe if I scare him._

He rolled out of the way as electricity lit up the hallway.

"I'm not in a good mood tonight." Mikoto watched as he peaked timidly from behind a dumpster.

"I just want a match against the…Argg." Another streak of electricity narrowly missed his face.

"Can't you take a hint? I'm missing on purpose."

"Alrighty then! Lets get this show on the road!" He jumped from his hiding place with his arms in the air. "Get ready! Here it…" He dropped to the ground as a garbage can slammed into his face. "Okay okay!" He scurried into a side alley and ran full speed down it's length; arms and legs swinging like crazy. "You've not heard the last of…." He ran some more and stopped just before going out onto an adjacent street. "Me!"

_What the heck was that?_

_

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_

If you have the time please review.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: The author of the fanfiction (babbler) does not, in any way, profit from the story and that all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator.

Babbler: Sorry for the long wait. I had a bit of writers block with this story but the chapter is finally finished...might be awhile for another chapter though...

* * *

Mikoto flattened herself against the side of her dorm building. Breathing hard, heart pounding, she peaked in the window besides the door. She slowly surveyed what she could see inside but nothing looked out of place.

_It's not the wolf you see that you have to worry about…._ She kind of sort of remembered hearing that somewhere and, having not lived in a rural area, it seemed like the first time it really applied to her.

She dropped to hands and knees and crept along under the window. _Kuroko would make an indecent joke right about now. _Her face reddened, she reached for the doorknob and turned it just enough to open and peered inside. Again nothing out of the ordinary.

Mikoto tiptoed across the large entryway to one of the side doors and slipped inside. Usually the head mistress would already have caught them by now. The only reason they ever managed to get further was because of Kuroko's teleporting ability and even then…she'd be sitting on one of their beds waiting for them. Mikoto shuddered; she was definitely down there sitting on her bed...waiting…

Finally in front of her little cubby-hole in the basement, Mikoto prepared for what surely must be inside. There was no faint smell of brimstone and no unearthly light coming from under the door so she gently turned the knob and prepared herself. She took a deep breath and slowly shakily peered inside….

Empty.

A smile crept across her lips, she quietly closed and locked the door. It had taken nearly an hour, but she was now in her room and not in a shallow grave or missing limbs that a meeting with her head mistress at this time of night would certainly have entailed. She slid between the desk and bed and flipped on the desk light and dropped back onto her bed.

_Maybe…_ she dropped down besides the bed and with a trembling hand pulled up her bed sheets and peered into the dark abyss under her bed.

_Nothing but dust bunnies._

Reassured, she jumped onto her bed. Maybe tomorrow it will be all over. Kuroko will be out of the hospital, I'll be back in my room, and Kuroko can set everyone right at school about what happened….though she'll probably say she got hit by the thunderbolt of love….

She squirmed out of her school uniform and snuggled into a pair of flannel pyjamas and nestled into the warm embrace of her temporary bed.. The night was chilly and her legs were cold so she wrapped her legs more tightly in the blankets. Sleep would come quickly tonight. Maybe it was the stress of the last two days finally catching up.

"You look comfortable. Would you like me to turn out the light for you?" The headmistress smiled at her. She tucked the blankets gently to Mikot's chin and sat on the corner of the bed.

"I'd like that," Mikoto smiled warmly. "….oh fuc…."

Flick….the room went dark all but for two red glowing orbs directed intensely at Mikoto.

* * *

Mikoto trudged into the front door of school with shoulders slumped and eyes bloodshot. She stomped up the stairs and threw open the door. There was no one in the classroom; coming to school half hour early usually meant that.

She lay on her arms and closed her eyes…the odour of ammonia wafting from her hands was too strong…so she sat back up and stared at the ceiling. A shower and washing her hands ten times hadn't gotten rid of the smell so it was going to be her companion for a while.

She smashed her head against her desk…she still had an essay to write…perhaps an apology to Kuroko as well. The headmistress wanted a 2000 word essay on what she had learned the last two days so that she could reflect and become a better person.

She thought for a second:

Rich girls are utter slobs.

Mixing Mr. Shine and Bubblex is a bad idea…_I wonder when my sense of smell will come back._

Mop from the farthest wall toward the door.

_I'm going to the nurse._ She got to her feet and staggered down the hall. She took a deep breath and then opened the door but the nurse wasn't there but a steaming cup of coffee was left on the desk. She jumped onto one of the beds and nestled her face into the pillow.

_"Onee-sama!" A familiar voice rang out as Kuroko attached herself to her side._

_"Kuroko?" Mikoto smiled and plucked her arm away. "Are you…" Her face was ghostly white and her body felt like ice._

_"Onee-sama?" Kuroko looked questioningly up at her sempai. Enjoying the hug but not expecting it._

_"You're cold…." Her eyes were glassy and that that wound on her neck looked worse than ever; Mikoto tried not to look at it. "Why are you wearing the clothes from the accident?" Mikoto fingered the burnt ragged edge of Kuroko shirt._

_"I'm wearing the clothes from my last moments of life…."_ _The sound of thunder echoed through the building._

Mikoto eyes fluttered open. The bell was ringing and the hallway was full of voices. _School's over?_ She glanced at her watch to confirm the time and sighed in relief. It was an easier day than she had expected.

"Feel like waking up anytime soon….oh you are awake." The nurse threw back the curtain. "This room isn't for catching up on sleep you know."

"I'm sorry." _I still feel exhausted._

"But I suppose when you're girlfriend's had an accident like that…then things might be rough so you're forgiven.

"Gi…gi…girlfriend….Kuroko is **NOT **my girlfriend." _How many times do I have to deny this?_

"Seems like a nice enough girl. You don't need to be mean about it." The nurse stuck a cigarette in her mouth and poked around in her pocket for a lighter.

_Yeah. Nice enough if you're not the target of her perversions._ "She's a clo….friend." She annoyed her way too much to say a "close" friend. "We tend to fight."

The nurse flicked her lighter….than her arms went limply to her sides and she stuck it back in her pocket. She glared angrily at the NO SMOKING sign on the wall directly in front of her. "Friends usually do."

Mikoto hopped out of bed and stooped so she could more easily pull on her shoes.

"She is suppose to get out of the hospital today so get your butt in gear and go see her!"

Mikoto eyes widened and she ran for the door. _How could I forget that?_ She threw open the door and ran down the hall. Eyes were on her has she went but she didn't let it stop her; being a level 5 meant eyes were always on her. She bounded down the stairs and kicked the door open at the bottom of the stairs. _I'll catch a more direct bus this time._

* * *

Mikoto stood stiffly in front of the hospital's automatic doors. She had not particularly liked the smell to begin with but now….she grudgingly walked into the building.

She walked toward the stairwell but stopped by the gift shop and walked inside. There was all manner of overpriced crap lining the walls. The entire back wall was taken up by balloons but Kuroko wasn't a kid she wouldn't like a balloon. _A card maybe._

_I suppose they don't have 'I've struck you with lightning. Please forgive me!'. _Mikoto sighed heavily. Cards were great and all…..there was a little brown bear seated in the lap of a bigger bear on the shelf to her right. The bigger bear didn't interest her but this little guy did. It had good stitching and the fur was soft and luxurious to the touch. Its eyes looked bright and happy. _This is the one I want!_

It only took Mikoto a few moments to pay for the bear and run, not to mention get yelled at, up three flights of stairs to Kuroko's room. She paused besides the open room door and smiled down at the little guy in her arms. She hugged it tightly than walked into the room.

"Right on time Onee-sama." Kuroko smiled but kept her eyes closed and didn't look in her direction. "I'm just about to be released."

"Here," Mikoto said gruffly dropping the bear on Kuroko's lap.

Kuroko's eyes sprung open. She poked the bear in the forehead with an amused grin on her face, then picking it up by its two paws she smiled and squeezed it to her chest. "It's warm."

Mikoto blushed. _I hugged it all the way up here._ "I'm haha glad you like it."

"Thank you Onee-sama." Kuroko rubbed her face against the bear; still tightly hugging it.

She looked a little better now…though she was still pale looking and her bruising hadn't disappeared….or that burn on her neck. That wouldn't be healing for a while. There was also something about the tiny spot of dried blood in Kuroko's ear that unsettled her. People don't usually bleed from their ears after all. She wasn't hooked to any machines at least and her intravenous had been taken out of her arm.

"Mikoto Misaka." A clear female voice called out from behind her. "Would you come with me please."

"Ummm….okay." Mikoto turned on her heel. She didn't see the tears streaming down Kuroko's face or the ever tightening grip on the bear.

A young woman with a white coat and shiny little name tag beckoned her. "This way please." The woman walked down the hall, then took another right, followed by a left. She opened a door and waited for Mikoto to walk inside. Mikoto sat on the chair besides the desk.

"Mikoto-san, Kuroko's told me all about you."

_Ergg! I bet I know what she said and what this woman is going to ask!_

_"My name is Liza Baranab by the way." _She handed Mikoto a pamphlet. The title being: Surviving a Lightning Strike. Mikoto heart sank. _Do they have these because of me?_

"Shirai-san is a tough cookie but I'm going to need you to look out to her so she don't hurt herself. She's going to be in a wheel chair until the numbness in her limbs goes away and she's going to need her bandage on her neck changed." She picked up another sheet from her desk. "This is her prescription. She has enough for a few days but you'll need to fill that. Make sure she takes her drugs on time and if she's in pain I've prescribed a pain killer to help with that."

"Wheelchair?" Mikoto eyes widened.

"Yes. Your nervous system is your bodies' electrical grid. When lightning passes through it….it causes problems like numbness and loss of motor function."

"…." Mikoto gaped.

"She's also gets confused or and she can have memory lapses but she's getting better and these symptoms should pass as her body heals…..What I'm really worried about is her irregular heartbeat. She'll be stubborn and she'll probably get mad but you mustn't let her go off by herself. She could get dizzy or blackout and roll into traffic with her chair or down a flight of stairs….so watch her like an hawk."

"….."

"Now if you promise to take good care of her I'll release her. Do you promise?"

"Of course." Mikoto tried to sound confident.

"….oh and another thing….if she has a seizure or….anything at all that worries you than bring her in….You know better than I do that she's not going to admit something is wrong."

"….Okay." Mikoto stood clutching the prescription and pamphlet tightly in her hand. "Thank you." She bowed to the doctor and marched stiffly out the door.

"Take good care of you girlfriend."

Mikoto did not hear the parting remark. _Wheelchair….confusion….seizures? I'm so sorry Kuroko. I'll take good care of you. You'll get better in no time….because if you don't….._

"Come on slow poke!" Kuroko was in her wheel chair, bag packed, and ready to roll, literately. The orderly behind her was patiently waiting with his hands on the handles.

Mikoto joined them silently and they rolled down the corridor toward the elevator. The ordinarily good postured girl walked as if something was pressing down on her shoulders. Like the weight of a wheelchair and its occupant for instance.

"Have you spoken with Konori-sempai?" Kuroko sounded clear and calm like her usual self causing Mikoto to double take. She still had her eyes closed and when the elevator jostled as it came to a stop, her head swayed back and forth.

"She's worried about you but…judgment work has been slow so she said to take your time and heal and don't do anything stupid." Mikoto lied. She had indeed spoken with Konori and nothing but Konori's kouhai well-being was discussed.

"Well at least I picked the right time to get incapacitated."

Mikoto grimaced. She didn't like the way the word 'incapacitated' sat on Kuroko's tongue.

"I'll be walking soon enough."

The words graded against Mikoto's skin, tearing out chunks as they trickled out.

There was a bus waiting outside with its door open and wheelchair lift lowered; one of those tiny short buses with only a handful of seats. She could see Kuroko tense herself has they neared it but without a word she allowed herself to be strapped in and lifted slowly inside. Mikoto climbed aboard and sat immediately behind the wheelchair space.

"That was humiliating." Kuroko huffed.

"You'll only have to put up with it for a few days."

"That's a few too many."

Mikoto glared out the window. She didn't know exactly what was humiliating about getting put on the bus…though it was slow. Maybe she felt like a piece of furniture or something. She eyed the other girl through the reflection in the mirror. _She sounds well enough anyway._

The bus stopped in front of the dorm, and to Mikoto's infinite relief, no fanfare. She was lowered out again and with a thank you to the bus driver, Mikoto took the handles.

Squeak! They came to a sudden halt as Kuroko pressed the wheel locks. "No need Onee-sama. I'm fine."

"Kuroko….."

"I might as well learn how to use this thing if I'm going to be stuck in it." She rolled slowly forward, then stopped, rolled some more, than stopped.

"Tired aren't you. Just let me push." Mikoto tried to grip the handles but Kuroko disappeared. _If she can teleport she must be feeling better._

Mikoto walked up to the dorm and pulled open the door. She paused. Kuroko was immediately inside….rolling slowly toward the elevator at the back of the building.

_She would have definitely gone directly to her room if she could. _Mikoto jogged a couple of steps forward and grabbed the handles again and pushed. Kuroko jerked back and grabbed the hand rails. She didn't say a word. _She's still holding the bear._ Mikoto beamed at the furry little head peaking out from under the seat belt where Kuroko had tucked it.

She rolled the chair and its occupant into the elevator and pushed the button. It was lucky they had an elevator, though not unexpected since young upper class girls with luggage would be living there. Mikoto was silently thankfully. _Does school even have an elevator?_ She didn't remember seeing one.

The doors chimed. "I want to try again." Kuroko stated, staring straight ahead and Mikoto reluctantly let go of the handles.

Mikoto smiled. _She's rolling better now._ The dormitory floor was much flatter and regular than the sidewalk leading to the building.

She stopped by the door and with difficulty turned the chair so she was facing it. "Can you open the door please Onee-sama?"

"Head mistress took my key."

Kuroko looked puzzled than pulled her bag from the back of the chair. After a few seconds of rooting around she pulled out her wallet and a set of keys emerged. On her key ring were four keys and Kuroko stared at each with equal interest then thrust them at Mikoto.

Mikoto took the keys from her outstretched hand and stared at Kuroko. She was frowning and had her eyes closed again. She hadn't bothered to close her bag either, though they were right next to the room. Mikoto slipped the key in the lock and and pushed her friend inside. _That was weird._

_"_Kuroko, I'll make it up to you I swear."

"I know how you can make it up to me."

Even from behind the chair she could tell Kuroko was wearing a face splitting grin. _I'm not going to like this._

_"_Onee-sama, I want you to..._"_

_I'm not going to like this at all._

* * *

_All reviews appreciated._


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